Authentic Thai Larb
This authentic Thai beef larb recipe is a super tasty and popular dish from Isaan (Northeastern )Thailand. It's a flavorful salad made with near-raw, thinly sliced beef. This authentic Thai larb has a wonderful assortment of fresh herbs that bring out the bold, addictive flavors. It's an easy recipe, and it's extra healthy!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 pound grilling beef. This is an important ingredient for this recipe. Choose thick-cut beef with some fat in it for this recipe. I used top London broil and ribeye.
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided. Use 2 tablespoons for marinating beef and 1 tablespoon for the salad.
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice, divided. Use 2 tablespoons for marinating beef and 1-2 tablespoons for the salad.
- 2 teaspoon sugar, divided. 1 teaspoon for the marinade of the beef and 1 teaspoon for the salad.
- 1/2 cup shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons toasted rice powder
- 1-2 fresh chilies (adjust to your spice preference)
- 1 tablespoon oil. If pan-frying the meat.
Instructions
- 1
Toast uncooked rice, preferably Thai glutinous rice, in a small pan on medium heat until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a spice grinder or use a small mortar and pestle and grind until you get a coarse powder.
- 2
Mix 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the beef and turn to get the sauce to cover all sides.
- 3
Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzly just a small amount of oil on the pan. No need for oil if using the grill. Add the marinated beef and cook for a couple of minutes on each side of the beef. Use more or less time as per your preference for rawness. Let the meat rest for 8-10 minutes before cutting it for extra juice and tenderness.
- 4
Mix the herbs and the rest of the sauces in a large bowl.
- 5
Thinly slice your beef, including the fat, into small, thin pieces, around 1/8 inch to 1-inch. Add the beef to the salad bowl and mix gently.
- 6
Sprinkle the toasted rice powder over the meat mixture. This gives your larb a wonderful crunch and nutty flavor. Stir the salad with a wooden spoon and adjust the flavors to taste with more Thai chili, fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar.